This application claims the priority of German application 198 44 279.3, filed in Germany on Sep. 26, 1998, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a locking device for a rotatable latching element of a selecting device that has a selector lever.
In conjunction with a shifting device for a manual transmission, it is already known from WO 96/35064 to secure the keylock latching element in a specific position on the shifting device, with a leaf spring mounted integrally with the housing engaging an elongate opening of the latching element. An actuating element for the keylock latching element is provided on a shift lever, said element engaging the opening of the keylock latching element in a specific position of the shift lever and also moving. At the same time, the actuating element forces the leaf spring out of the elongate opening so that in order to actuate the keylock latching element, the latter is no longer locked. The disadvantage is that with this arrangement a housing wall or the like must be provided in the vicinity of the keylock latching element, on which the bending spring can be located.
A keylock latching element in general that has two latching elements corresponding with one another is already known from EP 0 580 970 A1.
By contrast with this prior art, a goal of the invention is to provide a locking device for a rotatable latching element which is improved in terms of its construction cost.
This goal is achieved according to the invention by providing a locking device for a rotatable latching element on a selecting device having a selector lever, with a bending spring being used to lock the latching element, wherein the bending spring is provided on the latching element, with a first end of the bending spring being mounted in a fixed position on the latching element, with the bending spring resting at a distance from its second free end on a support provided on the latching element, and with the second, free end being supported on a shoulder, said shoulder being provided on a housing on the selecting device radially with respect to a rotational axis of the latching element, and with an actuating element of the selector lever engaging the bending spring to unlock the locking device between a fixed bearing and the support.
According to the invention, it is proposed to locate the bending spring on the latching element, with a first end of the bending spring being mounted in a fixed location and a second, free end of the bending spring resting on a support. In correspondence with the free end of the bending spring, a shoulder is provided on the housing of the selecting device on a rotational axis of the latching element, against which the free end of the bending spring abuts. For unlocking, an actuating element of the selector lever engages between the fixed bearing and the support and bends the bending spring whose free end then no longer engages the shoulder integral with the housing. Advantageously, this locking device requires only one shoulder located radially to the rotational axis as a counter bearing that is integral with the housing. Then the latching element can be located at any point in the housing and requires no wall or the like to receive the bending spring.
Further advantageous features of preferred embodiments of the invention are described below and in the claims.
Thus, it is proposed to provide the bending spring at its fixed end with a matching eye and to provide the latching element with a pin onto which the eye can be pushed. In this way, the structural cost is further reduced since this design makes it possible to eliminate special fastening means.
It is also proposed to bend the free end of the bending spring at an angle and to provide a second support for the bending spring. The second support for the bending spring in this case is preferably provided in the vicinity of the first support, but offset in the direction of the fixed bearing. With this arrangement, the second support can slightly bend the spring further so that the bending spring is held under pretension and hence will not rattle. Since in this arrangement the bending spring does not have to be mounted on the latching element radially with respect to its rotational axis, the radial space required to mount the bending spring is significantly reduced and the latching element can be designed more freely.
To actuate the locking device, it is proposed that a pin be used for the purpose that is connected with an unlocking device on the selector lever. An elongate opening can be provided on the latching element to receive this pin, said opening extending essentially radially to the latching element. The latching element can therefore turn only when the selector lever is in a specific position and the unlocking device of the selector lever is moved.
Finally, it is proposed to use the locking device according to the invention for a rotatable latching element, namely a keylock lock.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.